The camera phone: Sharp J-SH04
When? 2000
Selfies owe their existence to this unassuming Japan-only phone. It took 0.1-megapixel photos and you could share them with a friend electronically. New cameras weren't far behind, and shooter resolution quickly multiplied with the first megapixel camera phones coming just three years later.
Still, it's important to note that though the camera-equipped Sanyo SCH-V200 was born before the J-SH04, it wasn't a camera phone as we think of today. The V200 had a camera, but you couldn't do anything with the photos except download them to a computer. So, essentially the V200 was just a phone with a camera attached.
The smartphone: BlackBerry 6210
When? 2002
After I first published this gallery, several CNET readers were concerned that I didn't include a BlackBerry device. Without a doubt, BlackBerry had a huge role in creating the modern smartphone. I just had a difficult time deciding which BlackBerry device to use as the best example of that innovation. Point taken, though, so I've added the 6210.
BlackBerry (or RIM, as it was known back then) was not the first to release a phone with email or a keyboard, but it was the first to package them in a way that was irresistible, especially to business users -- remember the term "crackberry?" Soon, BlackBerry phones were in offices everywhere, including the West Wing, thanks to its airtight security measures.
Of the early BlackBerry models, the 6210 (aka the "Quark") is particularly notable because it had an integrated microphone and speaker (you had to attach a headset to make calls on the earlier 5810), and it delivered coveted features such as email and BlackBerry Messenger. It also had a scroll wheel, as well as the first modern hardware design that persisted until the SureType keyboard.
The thin phone: Motorola Razr V3
When? 2003
Years before people camped in line to buy the iPhone, they camped in line to buy this. It launched a thousand imitators, and Moto brought thin to a huge family of handsets, from the Slvr to the Rizr to the the Q. Admittedly, I completely underestimated the appeal of the Razr when Moto first announced it. And how wrong I was.
It wasn't big on features, but the Razr's trim profile was more than enough to ensure its wild success. Many, many color variations (including four shades of pink and a Dolce & Gabbana version) followed. The thin phone trend didn't die out until the iPhone. But in a way, it never really died out at all.
The non-BlackBerry smartphone: Palm Treo 650
When? 2004
By the time Palm sold its Treo 650, BlackBerry had already cornered the corporate market. It took other devices, though, to put the smartphone in the hands of everyday consumers. The Treo 650 is one of the best examples.
First developed by Handspring, which Palm later acquired, the Treo line had email and all of the work-focused features, but also a decent Web browser, a camera, and a music and video player. Naturally, it ran on the Palm OS, but later models had Windows Mobile.
The touchscreen phone: LG KE850 Prada
When? 2006
The Prada bit was just a nice touch; LG KE850 is notable for being the first phone with a capacitive touchscreen. Yes, many other touchscreen phones preceded it, but capacitive display technology meant that we didn't use a stylus.
Capacitive touchscreens also are brighter than resistive screens and they support multi-touch gestures. Though the iPhone would later popularize the latter concept, LG's handset did sneak onto the market first.
** 12 phones that changed the world: Part III
BDST: 1205 HRS MAY 23, 2014
